Jade plants are very easy to grow if you follow these simple rules.
1) Use a porous clay pot, with a hole in the bottom, and a saucer. Jade plants are easily killed if they are left in moist soil for many days. Using a clay pot will ensure that the soil will dry out quickly after watering. Sand and pebbles can be added to potting soil for jade plants to enhance drainage.
2) Do not water the plant if it is still moist from the last watering. If there is water left in the saucer 30 minutes after watering, pour that water out. Jade plants are killed easily from root rot in moist soil. The soil of a jade plant should be dry within a few days after watering.
3) Jade plants like plenty of water as long as you follow rule 2 above. If a plant is outside in the summertime, it can be watered every other day. In the wintertime, small waterings, each week is sufficient.
4) Jade plants like full sun, but the more sun they get the happier they will be. They can be shocked and killed after moving them from a dark room to a sunny porch in the middle of summer. As with all living things, try to make changes in environment incremental.
5) It isn't too hard to get a jade plant to flower, but there are some things that you have to do. In the summertime, once nighttime temps are consistently in the 50s, put the plant outside in a sunny spot. Water it a couple times each week if there is no rain, and give it plenty of fertilizer. It should grow many times faster outside than inside if it is happy. In the fall, bring the plant inside when night temperatures go below 45 degrees. There should be flower buds developing when you bring it inside. Large plants are more likely to flower as are plants that are somewhat rootbound.
6) Mealybugs are a big problem for some jade plants. The most effective treatment for mealybugs on a jade plant is 91% rubbing alcohol (isopropanol) out of a spray bottle. If I see any evidence of meally bugs, I cover the whole plant with alcohol from the spray bottle every other day for a week or two. The plants to do not mind and those mealy bugs that get drowned in isopropanol die. This usually takes care of the problem, but I have to do it every year after bringing the plants inside. Ethanol does not work in place of isopropanol in this application.
Hi I found some of my jade plants small branches in the trash green and with little roots on one side. Are these baby sprouts? Can I plant them and if so how can I do it properly. I overwatered my main plant so it died. I would very much like to save these little ones. Can it be done. They are tough because they lived in a trash can for 2 months in the sun and with no water...I never seen anything in a plant like that. These plants are wonderful. Thanks Kim
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ReplyDeleteI have a very big jade plant - I've had it for over 35 yrs. The problem is that it's become much too large & unwieldy for me. I'm 70 yrs old & no way can I lift it or even turn it. It's in a large clay pot (I don't remember what kind of soil), & sits on a window sill that is a foot wide. The plant has MANY thick woody branches, with Many thick woody branches growing from each branch. The thickest branch is about 5 inches around. The parts that are growing straight up are about 20 inches high, but just as much of the plant hangs over the sides & spreads out on the window still - extending out about 23 inches on both sides. So, I'd like to make several plants out of it, in pots that I can handle, but I have no idea how to do this. 1st, should I use Cactus soil ? or regular Miracle Grow soil ? I've cut off several small green branches with leaves on them & rooted them in water, then planted them in little pots & given them away. But this doesn't make a dent. Can I cut off any of the thick woody branches & plant them somehow ?? What to do ?? Any help will be very appreciated. Thanks !